Property news: Shock number of people still rely on parents to move on from first home

Some 32 per cent of people hoping to make the jump from their first home think they will still rely on financial help from family members or friends, according to the Lloyds Bank Second Steppers report.

While 17 per cent of second steppers plan to raise money for their next move from parents, a further 9 per cent are relying on grandparents and 6 per cent think friends will help them out financially.

Those considering turning to family members to help them out are typically looking to borrow more than £20,000, the research found.

Nearly a quarter of first-time sellers said they would have children later in life than originally planned, while 12 per cent said they would have fewer children than originally planned, while they experienced the challenges that first-time sellers face. 

While over half said the challenges had made no impact on their social or personal circumstances, 13 per cent have had to, or would have to, change their career as a result.

Of those who require financial help from their parents, nearly half believe that their parents have had to make sacrifices in order to help them move up the property ladder. 

Lloyds’s report found that the price difference between a typical first time buyer home and a second stepper’s ideal home, typically a detached property, was £126,000.

But, with house prices having risen strongly in some parts of the UK in recent years, would-be second steppers were sitting on an average of £105,068 of equity in their first home.

One in four second steppers surveyed thought it was now harder to move up the property ladder than to get on it in the first place.

Just over two-fifths of those surveyed had been overpaying their mortgage to increase their equity and a third had increased the amount they saved every month.

Just under a third of second steppers said not finding the right property remained the biggest issue that may delay the sale of their current property.

Lack of affordable property, the cost of stamp duty tax and potential changes to interest rates were other issues weighing heavily on second steppers’ minds as they planned their next move.

Andy Mason, mortgage director at Lloyds Bank, said: “Parental support continues to play a vital role in helping young people to get on the property ladder.

“However, it is clear that despite improved conditions for this part of the housing market, second steppers will still rely on the ‘bank of mum and dad’, with hard-pressed parents being once again called on for financial help.

“Without this extra financial support, second steppers believe that they wouldn’t be able to make the next move on the property ladder for some time.

“However, it is encouraging to see many second steppers planning ahead by overpaying their mortgage and making bigger contributions into savings accounts to prepare for when the perfect home becomes available.”

More than 500 people from across the UK who have previously bought their first home and are now looking to take their second step on the property ladder took part in the survey.